In Bangladesh, Sanatan Jagran Mancha held a massive rally in Chattogram on Friday, demanding the withdrawal of a “false” case filed against 19 people, including Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari of International Society for Krishna Consciousness(ISKCON).
The platform issued a two-day ultimatum and threatened to launch a series of protests if the case is not withdrawn by coming Monday. Chinmoy Krishna Das is the spokesperson of Sanatan Jagran Mancha, a platform advocating for the rights of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
On Friday, defying various barriers, thousands of Hindus joined the protest rally organised by Sanatan Jagran Mancha in the Cheragi Pahar area of Chittagong in the afternoon reiterating their eight-point demand.
Addressing the rally, Gauranga Das Brahmachari, one of the organisers of the Sanatan Jagran Mancha, said they would submit a memorandum to Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh to the withdraw the false case, and if it does not work they would declare a tougher programme across the country.
He also alleged police barred people from joining the peaceful rally. Members of law enforcement agencies took positions at various points of the port city, preventing the people from joining the two-hour rally, ending at 5:00 pm, reports Prothom Alo, one of the leading daily newspapers in Bangladesh.
Regarding this, Chattogram Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (south) Liakat Ali Khan said there was an administrative instruction on not holding the rally but people defied it.
Gauranga Das Brahmachari said they were being threatened with imprisonment, but they would realise their eight-point demand. “We respect the administration. So, we are holding the rally peacefully.”
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has understood its mistake. That is why they expelled the plaintiff of the case Firoz Khan. Those who provoked Firoz Khan must be identified or else the name of the country will be demeaned repeatedly, he added.
Earlier on Wednesday night, one Firoz Khan, a resident of Chittagong and BNP worker, lodged a sedition case against Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari and 18 others for allegedly hoisting saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag atop Independent Monument in Chattogram last week.
According to the media reports, the Sanatan Jagaran Mancha had organised a massive rally at historic Laldighi Maidan of Chittagong on October 25 calling for the minority rights and security in Bangladesh.
During the rally, some unidentified people had allegedly hung the ochre flag atop of the Independent Monument. According to Bangladesh Flag Rules-1972, no other flag or coloured flag can be hoisted atop the national flag.
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